An Indiana State Rep’s Indecent Proposal to Get Colts Players to stop taking a knee

On September 24, Milo Smith took his daughter to an Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Cleveland Browns. Though the Colts won that day — a tragically rare occurrence this year — Smith left the game offended. During the national anthem, a group of players on both teams took a knee in reaction to President Trump’s comments two days earlier, where he called protesting players sons of bitches who should be fired by team ownership.

"To me when they take a knee during the national anthem, it’s not respecting the national anthem or our country,” Smith told the Indianapolis Star newspaper. “Our government isn’t perfect, but it's still the best country in the world and I think we need to be respectful of it."

But Smith isn’t just an ordinary Colts' fan. He’s a state representative, and he couldn’t sit idly by while the Colts players knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner. Instead, he’s promised to introduce legislation that would force the team to refund the ticket price to any fan offended by a Colts player protesting during the national anthem.

A 20-year veteran teacher is accused of assaulting a middle school student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, the latest incident in which a protest over the flag has devolved into apparent violence.

The teacher is Karen Smith, who until recently taught physical education at Angevine Middle School, about 20 miles north of Denver. She couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Officers were called to the school around noon Thursday, the Denver Post reported. Neither the school nor the police released details, and the student's name has not been released. No charges have been filed.

A school spokesman told the newspaper that the policy is to allow students to sit or stand during the pledge.

ATLANTA -- NFL owners have unanimously approved a new national anthem policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer, it was announced Wednesday.

If you don't love our country enough to stand for the flag and those who gave their lives for our freedom, maybe you don't deserve to have a job, and maybe you don't deserve to live in our great nation.

Kneeling is so fucking repulsive. The anthem isn'ta fucking political message you fucking assholes. The anthem is a show of respect, a moment of remembrance to those who sacrificed everything so you could enjoy your freedoms. You are spitting in the faces of every living and dead hero by kneeling. I agree in that they should have been fired and their assets frozen. Fuck kneelers.

(CNN) - The NFL's warmup games are in full swing -- and the national anthem protests are back.

Several players on Thursday took a knee, raised a fist or did not take to the field while the anthem was played before a dozen games as the league's first full week of preseason contests kicked off.

he action comes weeks after the league suspended what was supposed to be a new policy barring such demonstrations.

The anthem protests -- meant to draw attention to racial injustice -- have happened with varying participation since 2016, pulling the NFL into a public debate that has seen President Donald Trump call on team owners to stem them.

In Philadelphia, Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel Thursday during the anthem and headed to the team bench ahead of a game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.